The present invention relates to an automatic splicer for splicing ends of spun yarn, including plied and wrapped yarns, and a method of splicing such spun yarns, and more particularly to an automatic splicer and method wherein yarn ends are mechanically combed to form the end in enhanced condition for producing an effective splice.
Automatic splicers for splicing ends of yarn broken during operation of yarn and other textile manufacturing and processing equipment are well known. Air splicers, in particular, have been developed for this purpose and have been improved over the years. However, by their nature air splicers require the yarn ends to be cleaned of loose fibers and opened so that the splicing air blast can create a strong commingling interconnection and twisting of fibers that are firmly connected in each yarn end and firmly connected to each other during splicing, and problems have, therefore, persisted in obtaining rapid, efficient and effective cleaning and opening of the yarn ends for air splicing the general range of different types of yarn. End preparation has included such means as air jets blown at the yarn ends or acting on the yarn ends within conduits or mechanical combing devices of various sorts. Typical of such prior art devices and methods are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,499,715 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,132, owned by the assignee of the present application.
The problem of end preparation is especially acute when attempting to splice open end spun yarns due to the inherent nature of such yarns, which have a core of interior fibers that have considerably more twist than the outer last-applied fibers that form a somewhat untwisted wrap, the fibers of which are not firmly attached to the yarn and tend to be readily displaced into accumulation that can interfere with splicing. This often occurs, for example, when ends of open end spun yarns are inserted in a mechanical combing device in preparation for splicing. It is also a problem when attempting to mechanically comb plied spun yarns and wrapped or sheathed yarn.